What makes online-learning programs successful?Participants of a recent survey found four key traits of successful online-learning programs. Among them, according to those who participated in the "Best Practices for Implementing Online Learning in K-12 Districts" survey, are having tools to monitor students' progress and assess comprehension; having available teachers; having educators who are trained to teach online; and adopting a rigorous curriculum. T.H.E. Journal
(12/13)

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eLearning

How to speak the language of education technologyEducation technology has a language all its own and there are terms teachers and administrators should know.
In this article, writer Corey Murray shares 24 education-technology terms that should be known by all teachers and administrators. Among the terms are one-to-one learning, adaptive learning, blended learning and differentiated learning, in which technology is used to match students' individual learning styles. EdTech magazine
(12/2012)

Tips for using technology in project-based learningUtilizing technology in project-based learning is about more than adding more tools, educational consultant Andrew Miller writes in this blog post. The idea is "about the intentional use of the tools available," writes Miller, who shares tips to help improve technology integration in classrooms that utilize project-based learning. Among his tips are to use Google, Skype or other tools to share students' work with "authentic" audience members, while technology also can be used to assess students' collaboration and to teach technology literacy. Edutopia.org/Andrew Miller's blog
(12/12)

What happens when students, not planned teaching points, lead instructional decisions about writing? When Writers Drive the Workshop shows teachers how to empower students in every aspect of writing workshop—conferring, responding to writing, self-assessment, & mini-lessons. Includes ideas for using digital tools. Preview the entire book!

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Systems Management

Cafeteria palm scanners on the back burner in Md. districtCarroll County, Md., School Superintendent Stephen Guthrie said this week that school cafeterias would discontinue the use of palm-scanning technology, following concerns from parents over students' privacy. The PalmSecure program, in which students' palms are scanned to access their meal accounts, had been used in 10 schools since October. Officials said they believe the program is secure and will examine an option where parents could opt into the program -- rather than opt out. The Baltimore Sun
(12/13)

Digital Braille device gets modern upgradePerkins Products, a company affiliated with the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass., has combined its mechanical Braille typewriter invented in 1951 with a computer. Called a Smart Brailler, it now includes tutorials, a computer screen to display letters being typed and a text-to-speech feature. "It gives the teacher of the visually impaired, the sighted classroom teacher, the parent, a window into Braille," JoAnn Becker, trainer and technology support specialist for ­Perkins Products, said. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model)
(12/10)

Managing Budgets

Will K-12 funding increase as states recover?While some states are predicting increased revenue, officials say the additional funding may not reach K-12 education. There also is disagreement over just how rosy the financial picture is, with some saying that many states have rebounded to pre-recession levels. "It is still true that people don't want to reinflate what they had," said Paul Hill, founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)
(12/12)

Schools and Social Media

Social media threats present problems for schoolsRecent threats on social media websites led hundreds of students not to go to school in an Alabama district, and officials say they now are focused on re-evaluating how they handle such threats. Madison County schools' superintendent, David Copeland, told officials recently that they may need to revise their policy on social media threats. Currently, the district relies on law enforcement to determine when a threat is credible. WAAY-TV (Huntsville, Ala.)
(12/13)

Last Byte

How to manage the common core outbreakAs the winter cold season sets in, author Christopher Lehman makes a connection to what he has coined the "Common Corefluenza." In this blog post, Lehman offers some "home remedies" for addressing the maze of information within the Common Core State Standards. He suggests studying the standards, asking for demonstrations, being innovative and reflective, and avoiding spreading misinformation about the standards. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(12/13)

SmartQuote

Ours is the age which is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to."

--Howard Mumford Jones,American writer, critic and scholar

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